I am a Tutor in French in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. I hold a PhD in French studies from the University of Limerick, a Master’s degree from Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) and I am an accredited teacher from the Académie de Versailles. I specialise in reception studies, media history and 19th century French literature.
Before joining the department at Royal Holloway, I was a Lecturer, Teaching Fellow and Lectrice at Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Aberdeen and the University of London Institute in Paris.
I teach French language and culture at all levels. I convene and coordinate first-year advanced language courses, which include writing, grammar and oral classes.
I am interested in neurosciences and mindfulness, and how they both can be linked to education studies. This led me to develop research in this area, as students’ well-being is one of my fields of interest. My goal is to give students confidence to develop their curiosity for foreign languages and cultures, and to later help them turn their French language skills into a key strength throughout their professional career. I particularly enjoy teaching technical linguistic skills, such as the analysis of French figures of speech and how to structure an argumentative speech in French.
Inspired by the remarkable documentary A voix haute, la force de la parole (2016) and passionate about lyrism and public speaking, I help run the RHUL Franco-debate society. I encourage students to practise and develop their rhetorical and theatrical skills in order to challenge them outside of their comfort zone. Various events are also organised to showcase their progress in French. Find more about the FDS on Twitter and Padlet.
As a researcher, I specialise in reception studies and author legacies, media history, drama, poetry, epistolary studies and press of the 19th century. I am part of several academic associations for which I have given papers at conferences since 2012 – such as the SDN, the SERD and the ADEFFI. I am also a member of the research centre of the University of Rouen (CEREdI). Click here to read my research profile, and find out about my publications and conference papers on the CEREdI website.
I am currently working on the publication of my doctoral thesis and on several articles in medical humanities and reception studies. My research and teaching on comics and French fashion led me to become a member of the Centre for Visual Cultures.
Contact details: Marion.Joassin@rhul.ac.uk
